Exterior structure of vehicle door

ABSTRACT

Provided is an exterior structure of a vehicle door. The exterior structure includes a first exterior member which is attached to the vehicle door and a second exterior member which is attached to the vehicle door. The first exterior member and the second exterior member are provided with an alignment portion which determines the position of the first exterior member in the vehicle forward and rearward directions via the second exterior member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an exterior structure of a vehicledoor.

2. Description of the Related Art

Exterior parts such as decorative and protective moldings are attachedto a vehicle door to protect edges of a door panel and a door frame andenhance the appearance thereof. Specifically, beltline moldings, framemoldings, upper-sash moldings, garnish moldings, etc. are known as suchexterior parts of the vehicle door. The beltline molding is attached toa door panel along a beltline on the upper edge of the door panel. Theframe molding extends in a direction along a door frame from either thefront end of a beltline on a front vehicle door or the rear end of abeltline on a rear vehicle door. The garnish molding is attached to anupright pillar sash that constitutes a pillar of a door frame. JapaneseUnexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-265400 discloses such vehicledoor moldings.

These types of exterior parts are separately formed as long members andattached to a door panel or a door frame. In addition, these exteriorparts are often disposed in a manner such that two exterior partsoverlap each other at a corner of a vehicle door (e.g., at a jointbetween a door panel and a door frame or between the upper sash and theupright pillar sash of a door frame) as viewed from the vehicle exteriorside. However, due to structural constraints, there is a gap between adoor body (a door panel and a door frame) and the exterior parts at acorner of a vehicle door, which sometimes makes it difficult to make theexterior part(s) firmly supported. Hence, there is a possibility of theoverlapping portions of the two exterior parts not being preciselyaligned, which may deteriorate the appearance and cause the exteriorparts to create vibrations and noise due to wind pressure at the time oftraveling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a high-quality exterior structure of avehicle door which makes it possible for two exterior parts to beproperly mated.

According to an aspect of the present invention, an exterior structureof a vehicle door is provided, which includes: a first exterior memberwhich, is attached to the vehicle door; and a second exterior memberwhich is attached to the vehicle door. The first exterior member and thesecond exterior member include an alignment portion which determines theposition of the first exterior member in the vehicle forward andrearward directions via the second exterior member.

The present invention is useful, especially when the first exteriormember creates a clearance in the vehicle interior and exteriordirections between the vehicle door and a portion of the first exteriormember that includes the alignment portion.

The present invention is also useful, especially when a predeterminedsection of the first exterior member which ranges from an end thereof inthe elongated direction of the first exterior member is formed as anon-engaging section which is disengaged from a body of the vehicledoor, when a predetermined section of the second exterior member whichranges from an end thereof in the elongated direction of the secondexterior member is formed as a non-engaging section which is disengagedfrom the body of the vehicle door, when the non-engaging sections of thefirst exterior member and the second exterior member include thealignment portion, and when the non-engaging section of the firstexterior member is greater in length than the non-engaging section ofthe second exterior member.

It is desirable that the alignment portion further determine theposition of the first exterior member relative to the second exteriormember in the vehicle upward and downward directions.

It is desirable that the first exterior member includes a first bodyportion and a first end cap which covers an end surface of the firstbody portion, that the second exterior member includes a second bodyportion and a second end cap which covers an end surface of the secondbody portion, and that the first end cap and the second end cap includethe alignment portion.

More precisely, the first end cap includes a lid portion which comes incontact with the end surface of the first body portion, and an insertionportion which projects from the lid portion and is inserted into thefirst body portion. The alignment portion is provided with an extensionportion of the first end cap and a downward projecting portion of thesecond end cap.

In an embodiment, the extension portion extends from the lid portion inthe vehicle external side direction, and is provided with an insertionhole which extends through the extension portion in vehicle upward anddownward directions. The downward projecting portion projects downward,and is inserted in the insertion hole.

In another embodiment, the extension portion extends from the lidportion in the vehicle external side direction, and is provided with anupright wall which projects upward. The downward projecting portionprojects downward, and is positioned to face the upright wall in theforward and rearward directions.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible tomake the first exterior member into a frame molding which is attached toa doorframe of the vehicle door and to make the second exterior memberinto a beltline molding which is attached to the upper edge of a doorpanel of the vehicle door.

In the vehicle door exterior structure that is devised according to thepresent invention, the overlapping portions of the first exterior memberand the second exterior member can be properly aligned in the vehicleforward and rearward directions by the alignment portion, which makes itpossible to achieve a high-quality vehicle door exterior structure.

The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in JapanesePatent Application No. 2017-026737 (filed on Feb. 16, 2017) which isexpressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be discussed below in detail with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a vehicle door for a front vehicleseat;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the doorshown in FIG. 1 which includes a front door corner;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III shown inFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV shown inFIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a frame molding and a beltlinemolding in a first embodiment of a vehicle door exterior structure;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the vehicledoor exterior structure, taken along the line VI-VI shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line VII-VII shown inFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a frame molding and a beltlinemolding in a second embodiment of the vehicle door exterior structure;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the vehicledoor exterior structure, taken along the line VI-VI shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken along the line X-X shown in FIG.9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

A first embodiment of an exterior structure of a vehicle door accordingto the present invention will be hereinafter discussed with reference toFIGS. 1 through 7. FIG. 1 shows a side door for a front vehicle seat(hereinafter after referred to as the door 10). The terms “vehicleforward and rearward directions”, “vehicle upward and downwarddirections” and “vehicle interior and exterior directions” which will bementioned in the following description to designate directions aredefined with reference to each direction of the vehicle body, to whichthe door 10 is attached.

As shown in FIG. 1, the door 10 is provided with a door panel 11 and adoor frame 12, and the space surrounded by the upper edge of the doorpanel 11 and the inner edge of the door frame 12 is provided as a windowopening 13. The door panel 11 is configured of a combination of an outerpanel 14 (see FIG. 3) which is positioned on the vehicle exterior sideand an inner panel (not shown) which is positioned on the vehicleinterior side. The door frame 12 is provided with an upright pillar sash16 which is formed to extend upward from a portion of the door panel 11in the vicinity of the rear end thereof and an upper sash 17 which isformed to extend forward from the upper end of the upright pillar sash16. The upper sash 17 is connected to the door panel 11 at the frontedge of the door 10. A door glass 20 moves up and down to close and openthe window opening 13.

The door 10 is provided with exterior members that constitute thedecorative appearance of the edge of the window opening 13. The door 10is provided with a beltline molding (second exterior member/a secondbody portion) 21, a frame molding (first exterior member/a first bodyportion) 22 and a garnish molding 24 as the exterior members. Thebeltline molding 21 is attached to the upper edge of the door panel 11,the frame molding 22 is attached to the upper sash 17, and the garnishmolding 24 is attached to the upright pillar sash 16. The beltlinemolding 21, the frame molding 22 and the garnish molding 24 areseparately formed as long members and attached to the correspondingportions of the door 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the door 10 is provided with door corner portions C1and C2 at the two (front and rear) points: at which the door frame 12 isconnected to the door panel 11, and is further provided with a doorcorner portion C3 at the point at which the upright pillar sash 16 andthe upper sash 17, which constitute the door frame 12, are connected. Ateach of the three corner portions C1, C2 and C3, two exterior members(21 and 22, 22 and 24, or 22 and 24) are positioned to overlap eachother as the door 10 is viewed from the vehicle external side.

At the door corner portion C1, a portion of the beltline molding 21 inthe vicinity of the front end thereof and a portion of the frame molding22 in the vicinity of the front end (lower end) thereof are overlaid oneach other. At the door corner portion C2, a portion of the beltlinemolding 21 in the vicinity of the rear end thereof and a portion of thegarnish molding 24 in the vicinity of the lower end thereof are overlaidon each other. At the door corner C3, a portion of the frame molding 22in the vicinity of the rear end thereof and a portion of the garnishmolding 24 in the vicinity of the upper end thereof are overlaid on eachother. In the present embodiment, the overlapping portions of thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 at the door corner portionC1 are configured according to the present invention and will bediscussed in detail hereinafter.

As shown in FIG. 3, the outer panel 14 is provided with an outer plateportion 14 a and an attaching portion 14 b. The outer plate portion 14 ais positioned on the vehicle exterior side and constitutes the externalsurface of the door panel 11, while the attaching portion 14 b has aninverted U-shape in cross section and is formed by folding the upper endof the outer plate portion 14 a.

The beltline molding 21, which is a long member, is attached to theattaching portion 14 b of the outer panel 14 to extend therealong. Asshown in FIG. 3, the beltline molding 21 has an inverted U-shape incross section that opens downward. More specifically, the beltlinemolding 21 is provided with a vehicle external side portion 21 a whichis positioned on the vehicle exterior side, a vehicle interior sideportion 21 b which is positioned on the vehicle interior side, and anupper-end connecting portion 21 c which connects the upper edges of thevehicle external side portion 21 a and the vehicle exterior side 21 b.The beltline molding 21 is further provided with a groove-shaped portion21 d. The space surrounded by the vehicle external side portion 21 a,the vehicle exterior side 21 b and the upper-end connecting portion 21 cis provided as the groove-shaped portion 21 d.

The beltline molding 21 is provided with a body touch lip 21 e whichprojects toward the vehicle interior side from the vehicle exterior sideportion 21 a and a body touch lip 21 f which projects downward from thelower end of the vehicle exterior side portion 21 a. The beltlinemolding 21 is provided, at a position between the body touch lips 21 eand 21 f in the vehicle upward and downward directions, with a supportprojection 21 g which projects toward the vehicle interior side from thevehicle exterior side portion 21 a. The beltline molding 21 is furtherprovided with an anti-vibration projection 21 h which projects towardthe vehicle exterior side from the vehicle interior side portion 21 band a bent portion 21 i which projects toward the vehicle exterior sidefrom the lower end of the vehicle interior side portion 21 b. Thebeltline molding 21 is further provided at different positions in thevehicle upward and downward directions with a pair of glass touch lips21 j and an anti-vibration projection 21 k. The pair of glass touch lips21 j project toward the vehicle interior side from the vehicle interiorside portion 21 b, and the anti-vibration projection 21 k is positionedabove the pair of glass touch lips 21 j and projects toward the vehicleinterior side from the vehicle interior side portion 21 b. The bodytouch lip 21 e, the body touch lip 21 f, the pair of glass touch lips 21j and the anti-vibration projection 21 k are elastically deformable.FIGS. 3 and 6 show the shapes of the body touch lip 21 e, the body touchlip 21 f, the pair of glass touch lips 21 j and the anti-vibrationprojection 21 k in a free state.

As shown in FIG. 3, the beltline molding 21 is attached to the upperedge of the outer panel 14 (the door panel 11) with the attachingportion 14 b inserted into the groove-shaped portion 21 d. In thisattached state, the end (lower end) of the inwardly folded portion ofthe attaching portion 14 b, which is folded toward the vehicle interiorside, is engaged with the bent portion 21 i to prevent the beltlinemolding 21 from coming off upward. The body touch lip 21 e and the bodytouch lip 21 f respectively abut against the vehicle exterior sidesurface of the attaching portion 14 b and the outer plate portion 14 awhile being elastically deformed, while the anti-vibration projection 21h is positioned to face the vehicle interior side surface of theattaching portion 14 b. Accordingly, the position of the beltlinemolding 21 is determined with respect to the outer panel 14 in thevehicle interior and exterior directions. The body touch lip 21 e andthe body touch lip 21 f prevent drops of water and foreign particlesfrom entering the inside of the beltline molding 21 from outside. Inaddition, although not illustrated in FIG. 3, the glass touch lip 21 jabuts against the door glass 20 (shown in FIG. 1) while beingelastically deformed to prevent drops of water and foreign particlesfrom entering the inside of the door panel 11. Additionally, theanti-vibration projection 21 k faces the door glass 20 to prevent thedoor glass 20 from vibrating toward the vehicle external side. Thebeltline molding 21 that has been attached as described above covers thevehicle exterior side surface, the vehicle interior side surface and thetop of the attaching portion 14 b to constitute the appearance of theupper edge of the door panel 11.

The beltline molding 21 can be made of an arbitrary material. Forinstance, the beltline molding 21 can be entirely made of syntheticresin. In this case, elastically deformable portions of the beltlinemolding 21 such as each lip 21 e, 21 f and 21 j and the anti-vibrationprojection 21 k can be made of a synthetic resin smaller in hardnessthan the other part of the beltline molding 21. Additionally, thebeltline molding 21 can also be configured of a combination of a metaland a synthetic resin.

As shown in FIG. 2, a predetermined section of the beltline molding 21which ranges from the end (front end) thereof in the elongated directionof the beltline molding 21 (i.e., in the vehicle forward and rearwarddirections) is provided as a non-engaging section A which is notdirectly engaged with the door body (the door panel 11 and the doorframe 12). The remaining portion of the beltline molding 21, whichextends rearward from the rear end of the non-engaging section A, issupported by the door panel 11 (the outer panel 14) via theabove-illustrated cross-sectional structure shown in FIG. 3. On theother hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the attaching portion 14 b is notinserted into the groove-shaped portion 21 d of the beltline molding 21in the range of the non-engaging section A, and therefore, the beltlinemolding 21 is in a state where a gap exists between the non-engagingsection A and the door body (the door panel 11 and the door frame 12).As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the lower part of the vehicle interior sideportion 21 b is partly removed from the non-engaging section A of thebeltline molding 21; thereby, neither the anti-vibration projection 21 hnor the bent portion 21 i is formed in the non-engaging section A.

An end cap (second exterior member/second end cap) 30 is fitted to thefront end of the body portion of the beltline molding 21. The end cap 30is provided with a lid portion 30 a (see FIG. 5) and insertion portions30 b and 30 c (see FIG. 6) which project from the lid portion 30 a. Thelid portion 30 a can be in contact with the end surface of the beltlinemolding 21 that faces forward (obliquely upwardly forward), and theinsertion portions 30 b and 30 c are oriented so as to extend rearwardfrom the lid portion 30 a to be inserted into the groove-shaped portion21 d of the beltline molding 21. The positions of the insertion portions30 b and 30 c are determined by the insertion portions 30 b and 30 cbeing press-fitted into the groove-shaped portion 21 d. As thecross-sectional position shown in FIG. 6, part of the insertion portion30 b is positioned in a recess formed between body touch lip 21 e andthe support projection 21 g and is held therebetween, while theinsertion portion 30 c is in contact with the inner side of the beltlinemolding 21 at the boundary between the vehicle internal side portion 21b and the upper-end connecting portion 21 c, which prevents the end cap30 from moving in the vehicle interior and exterior directions and thevehicle upward and downward directions relative to the beltline molding21. In addition, the end cap 30 is also prevented from moving in thevehicle forward and rearward directions relative to the beltline molding21 by the press-fit of the insertion portions 30 b and 30 c into thegroove-shaped portion 21 d.

As shown in FIG. 4, the upper sash 17 is provided with a vehicleinterior-side frame portion 17 a and a vehicle exterior-side extensionportion 17 b. The vehicle interior-side frame portion 17 a is positionedon the vehicle interior side and has a closed cross-sectional shape. Thevehicle exterior-side extension portion 17 b extends toward the vehicleexterior side from the vehicle interior-side frame portion 17 a.

The frame molding 22, which is a long member, is attached to the vehicleexterior-side extension portion 17 b of the upper sash 17 to extendtherealong. As shown in FIG. 4, the frame molding 22 is provided with abottom plate portion 22 a, a vehicle interior side retaining portion 22b, a vehicle exterior side retaining portion 22 c, a design portion 22 dand a folded portion 22 e. The bottom plate portion 22 a is overlaid onthe upper surface of the vehicle exterior extension portion 17 b. Thevehicle interior side retaining portion 22 b is formed to be continuouswith the vehicle interior side end of the bottom plate portion 22 a. Thevehicle exterior side retaining portion 22 c is formed to be continuouswith the vehicle exterior side end of the bottom plate portion 22 a. Thedesign portion 22 d extends downward from the vehicle exterior sideretaining portion 22 c. The folded portion 22 e is formed by folding thelower end of the design portion 22 d toward the vehicle interior side.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom plate portion 22 a and the vehicleexterior extension portion 17 b are overlaid on each other in thevehicle upward and downward directions and fastened to each other by aset of screws (a set screw and a closed back screw post) 25. As afastener which fastens the frame molding 22 and the upper sash 17 toeach other, any other fastener such as a rivet, a weld rivet, etc. canbe used instead. Additionally, instead of using these partial fasteners,the bottom plate portion 22 a and the vehicle exterior extension portion17 b can be continuously fixed to each other by laser welding or thelike. The frame molding 22 attached as described above constitutes theappearance of the upper sash 17 with the design portion 22 d positionedon the vehicle exterior side of the vehicle interior-side frame portion17 a.

In addition, attaching the frame molding 22 to the upper sash 17 causesa holding recess 26 and a holding recess 27 to be formed. The holdingrecess 26 is surrounded by the vehicle interior-side frame portion 17 a,the vehicle external extension portion 17 b and the design portion 22 band opens downward. The holding recess 27 is surrounded by the bottomportion 22 a, the interior side retaining portion 22 b and the vehicleexterior side retaining portion 22 c and opens upward. A glass run (notshown) made of an elastic material is inserted into the holding recess26, and a weather strip (not shown) made of an elastic material isinserted into the holding recess 27. The glass run holds an edge of thedoor glass 20 (see FIG. 1). The weather strip abuts against the dooropening edge (not shown) of the vehicle body and is elastically deformedto seal the gap between the door 10 and the vehicle body when the door10 is closed.

The frame molding 22 can be made of an arbitrary material. For instance,the frame molding 22 can be formed of a metal sheet. Additionally, theframe molding 22 can also be formed of a metal plate and a syntheticresin which covers the outside of the metal plate or formed solely of asynthetic resin with no use of a metal plate.

As shown in FIG. 2, a predetermined section of the frame molding 22which ranges from the end (front end) thereof in the elongated directionof the frame molding 22 is provided as a non-engaging section B which isnot directly engaged with the door body (the door panel 11 and the doorframe 12). The remaining portion of the frame molding 22, which extendsrearward from the rear end of non-engaging section B, is supported bythe door frame 12 (the upper sash 17) via the above-illustratedcross-sectional structure shown in FIG. 4. On the other hand, as shownin FIGS. 5 and 6, in the non-engaging section B of the frame molding 22,neither a major part of the bottom plate 22 a nor the vehicleinterior-side holding portion 22 b is formed, and the frame molding 22is in a state where a gap exists between the frame molding 22 and thedoor body (the door panel 11 and the door frame 12). FIG. 6 shows across section taken at an angle at which the cross section does not passthrough the folded portion 22 e; however, the folded portion 22 e,together with the vehicle exterior side retaining portion 22 c and thedesign portion 22 d, is continuously formed up to the front end of theframe molding 22. Accordingly, in the non-engaging section B, thevehicle exterior side retaining portion 22 c, the design portion 22 dand the folded portion 22 e constitute the non-engaging section B of theframe molding 22.

An end cap (first exterior member/first end cap) 31 is fitted to thefront end of the body portion of the frame molding 22. The end cap 31 isprovided with a lid portion 31 a (see FIG. 5) and an insertion portion31 b (see FIG. 6) which obliquely projects from the lid portion 31 a.The lid portion 31 a can be in contact with the end surface of the framemolding 22 that faces downward, and the insertion portion 31 b isoriented so as to extend obliquely upward from the lid portion 31 a tobe inserted into the design portion 22 d along the vehicle interior sidesurface thereof. The upper edge of the insertion portion 31 b is formedinto a wedge-shaped portion 31 c which is inserted in between the designportion 22 d and the vehicle exterior-side holding portion 22 c.Although not shown in FIG. 6, the lower edge of the insertion portion 31b is inserted in a groove (see FIG. 4) formed between the design portion22 d and the folded portion 22 e. The above described upper and loweredges of the insertion portion 31 b are each press-fitted into place,which prevents the end cap 31 from moving relative to the frame molding22 in both the vehicle interior and exterior directions and the vehicleupward and downward directions and also in the longitudinal direction ofthe frame molding 22.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, at the door corner portion C1, thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 are disposed to overlapeach other in the vehicle interior and exterior directions. The beltlinemolding 21 and the frame molding 22 are positioned in that order in thedirection from the vehicle exterior side to the vehicle interior sidewith the vehicle interior side portion 21 b and the design portion 22 dfacing each other in the vehicle interior and exterior directions.

Unlike the portion having the general cross-sectional structure shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, the door corner portion C1 is included in thenon-engaging section A (FIG. 2), via which the beltline molding 21 isnot directly supported by the door panel 11 (the outer panel 14), andthe non-engaging section B (FIG. 2), via which the frame molding 22 isnot directly supported by the door frame 12 (the upper sash 17).Therefore, at the door corner portion C1, there is a possibility of thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 moving relative to the doorbody. Specifically, the non-engaging section B of the frame molding 22is greater in length than the non-engaging section A of the beltlinemolding 21; hence, this configuration tends to cause the frame molding22 to move (deviate from the original position) at the door cornerportion C1.

In the non-engaging section A, the direction in which the beltlinemolding 21 may possibly move is subject to the cross sectional structureof the beltline molding 21 itself and the support structure of the doorpanel 11 other than the non-engaging section A; hence, it is sometimesthe case that there exit both a direction in which the beltline molding21 easily moves and a direction in the beltline molding 21 does noteasily move. Likewise, in the non-engaging section B, the direction inwhich the frame molding 22 may possibly move is subject to the crosssectional structure of the frame molding 22 itself and the supportstructure of the door frame 12 other than the non-engaging section B;hence, it is sometimes the case that there exit both a direction inwhich the frame molding 22 easily moves and a direction in the framemolding 22 does not easily move.

Therefore, movements (deviations) of the non-engaging section A of thebeltline molding 21 and the non-engaging section B of the frame molding22 are not limited solely to unbounded movements (deviations) in alldirections; each of the non-engaging section A of the beltline molding21 and the non-engaging section B of the frame molding 22 can move(deviate from the original position) only in a specific direction(s).For instance, as for the beltline molding 21, upward movement of thebent portion 21 i is limited by engagement of the bent portion 21 i withthe end of the attaching portion 14 b of the outer panel 14 in thegeneral cross-sectional portion shown in FIG. 3, and accordingly, asubstantial upward displacement of the bent portion 21 i is less likelyto occur also in the non-engaging section A. Additionally, as shown inFIG. 3, in the general cross-sectional portion shown in FIG. 3,engagement of the anti-vibration projection 21 h, which is a hardprojection provided on the vehicle interior side portion 21 b, with theattaching portion 14 b of the outer panel 14 enhances restrictions onmovement of the beltline molding 21 toward the vehicle exterior side;accordingly, a displacement of the beltline molding 21 toward thevehicle exterior side is less likely to occur also in the non-engagingsection A.

To stabilize the positions of the beltline molding 21 and the framemolding 22 at the door corner C1, there is provided an alignment portionfor relative positioning between the beltline molding 21 and the framemolding 22. This alignment portion is provided with a first alignmentportion 40 and a second alignment portion 50 (see FIG. 6).

The first alignment portion 40 is provided with a downward projectingportion 41 and a side extension portion 45 which are formed integralwith the end cap 30 and the end cap 31 and provided on the beltlinemolding 21 side and the frame molding 22 side, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the downward projecting portion 41, providedas a portion of the end cap 30, is shaped into a cantilevered projectionthat includes a plate-shaped portion 42 and a bent portion 43. Theplate-shaped portion 42 projects downward from the vehicle internal sideend of the insertion portion 30 b of the end cap 30, and the bentportion 43 extends obliquely upward toward the vehicle interior sidefrom the lower end of the plate-shaped portion 42. The plate-shapedportion 42 is provided at the base end thereof with a base-end steppedportion 44 which is positioned on the vehicle exterior side of theplate-shaped portion 42 and projects downward by an amount of projectionsmaller than the amount of downward projection of the plate-shapedportion 42. The downward projecting portion 41 is formed to extend inthe vehicle forward and rearward directions while maintaining the crosssectional shape shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the side extension portion 45, provided as aportion of the end cap 31, is provided with a plate-shaped portion 46which is formed to make the lid portion 31 a of the end cap 31 extendtoward the vehicle exterior side and an insertion hole 47 which isformed to extend through the plate-shaped portion 46 in the vehicleupward and downward directions. The plate-shaped portion 46 projectsfarther toward the vehicle exterior side than the design portion 22 d ofthe frame molding 22. The insertion hole 47 is a rectangular elongatedhole the long-side direction (elongated direction) of which extends inthe vehicle forward and rearward directions and the short-side directionof which extends in the vehicle interior and exterior directions. Theside extension portion 45 is provided in the insertion hole 47 with afront end surface 47 a and a rear end surface 47 b (shown in FIGS. 5 and7) as inner surfaces of the insertion hole 47 which are spaced from eachother and face each other in the vehicle forward and rearwarddirections. The side extension portion 45 is further provided in theinsertion hole 47 with a side surface 47 c and a side surface 47 d(shown in FIGS. 5 and 6) as inner surfaces of the insertion hole 47which are spaced from each and face each other in the vehicle interiorand exterior directions.

The length of the insertion hole 47 in the vehicle forward and rearwarddirections (which corresponds to the distance between the front endsurface 47 a and the rear end surface 47 b) is slightly greater than thelength of the downward projecting portion 41 in the vehicle forward andrearward directions (see FIG. 7). The width of the insertion hole 47 inthe vehicle interior and exterior directions is slightly greater thanthe sum of the width of the plate-shaped portion 42 and the width of thebent portion 43 of the downward projecting portion 41 in the samedirections (see FIG. 6).

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the downward projecting portion 41 and theside extension portion 45 are mated with each other by inserting theplate-shaped portion 42 and the bent portion 43 into the insertion hole47. As shown in FIG. 6, the engagement of the side surface 47 c of theinsertion hole 47 with the plate-shaped portion 42 prevents the framemolding 22 from moving toward the vehicle interior side relative to thebeltline molding 21. In the engaged state shown in FIG. 6, a portion ofthe bent portion 43 in the vicinity of the upper end thereof ispositioned close to the side surface 47 d of the side extension portion45.

The second alignment portion 50 is configured from a portion of theanti-vibration projection 21 k of the beltline molding 21 and a portionof the design portion 22 d of the frame molding 22 which abut againsteach other. As shown in FIG. 6, the anti-vibration projection 21 k,which projects from the vehicle interior side portion 21 b of thebeltline molding 21, abuts against the vehicle exterior side surface ofthe design portion 22 d. This abutment of the anti-vibration projection21 k against the design portion 22 d causes the anti-vibrationprojection 21 k to be pressed and resiliently deformed toward thevehicle exterior side, and the resiliency of the anti-vibrationprojection 21 k thus deformed causes the frame molding 22 to be pressedtoward the vehicle interior side with respect to the beltline molding21. When the frame molding 22 is pressed toward the vehicle interiorside, the side surface 47 c of the insertion hole 47 is pressed againstthe plate-shaped portion 42.

As described above, the first alignment portion 40 restricts theposition of the frame molding 22 toward the vehicle exterior side withrespect to the beltline molding 21, while the second alignment portion50 restricts the position of the frame molding 22 toward the vehicleinterior side with respect to the beltline molding 21. Since thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 interact with each other torestrict the positions thereof in the vehicle interior and exteriordirections, the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 can bestabilized by being well mated with each other in the vehicle interiorand exterior directions even at the door corner portion C1, at which agap exists between each of the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding22 and the door body (the door panel 11 and the door frame 12).

In particular, in the second alignment portion 50, by the anti-vibrationprojection 21 k resiliently abutting against the design portion 22 d,the contact portion between the plate-shaped portion 42 and the sidesurface 47 c of the first alignment portion 40 can be used as apositional reference. Therefore, the position of the frame molding 22relative to the beltline molding 21 in the vehicle interior and exteriordirections can be determined with high precision while absorbingaccuracy errors between the parts with a clearance secured between thedownward projecting portion 41 and the insertion hole 47 in the vehicleinterior and exterior directions.

In the first alignment portion 40, the plate-shaped portion 42 abutsagainst the side surface 47 c, which is one of the pair of side surfaces47 c and 47 d of the insertion hole 47 which is positioned farther fromthe body portion of the frame molding 22 (i.e., closer to the vehicleexterior side) than the other side surface. Providing a reference foralignment between the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 at aposition away from the body portion of the frame molding 22 as describedabove makes the frame molding 22 less likely to tilt, thus making thevehicle door exterior structure at the door corner portion C1 excellentin stability.

Additionally, as described above, the beltline molding 21 has acharacteristic such that a displacement of the beltline molding 21toward the vehicle exterior side is less likely to occur also in thenon-engaging section A due to the engagement between the anti-vibrationprojection 21 h and the attaching portion 14 b of the outer panel 14 inthe general cross-sectional portion shown in FIG. 3. Accordingly, in thefirst alignment portion 40, alignment of the beltline molding 21 withthe frame molding 22 in the vehicle interior and exterior directions canbe achieved with high precision by using the vehicle exterior sidesurface of the plate-shaped portion 42 of the beltline molding 21 as apositional reference with respect to the side surface 47 c of theinsertion hole 47 of the frame molding 22 (i.e., by making the sidesurface 47 c of the insertion hole 47 abut against the plate-shapedportion 42) (see FIG. 6).

The downward projecting portion 41, which constitutes a portion of thefirst alignment portion 40, has increased in strength by the formationof the bent portion 43 in addition to the plate-shaped portion 42, whichserves as a positional reference in the vehicle interior and exteriordirections. As can be seen from FIG. 6, vibrations of the frame molding22 in the vehicle external side direction are limited by theanti-vibration projection 21 k; however, for instance, in the case wherea great force is instantaneously exerted on the frame molding 22, theside surface 47 d, which is positioned on the frame molding 22 side,comes closer to and engages with the bent portion 43, which ispositioned on the beltline molding 21 side; this engagement between theside surface 47 d and the bent portion 43 can also limit vibrations ofthe frame molding 22. The bent portion 43 absorbs shock and vibrationwhile being deformed in the vehicle external side direction with theconnected portion between the bent portion 43 and the plate-shapedportion 42 serving as a point of support. Since the bent portion 43 hasan inclined shape which approaches the plate-shaped portion 42 in thedownward direction, there is no risk of the bent portion 43 beingaccidentally caught by the upper surface of the side extension portion45 and thereby deteriorating workability when the downward projectingportion 41 is inserted into the insertion hole 47 during assembly.

Additionally, in the first alignment portion 40, the lower surface ofthe base-end stepped portion 44 of the downward projecting portion 41and the upper surface of the plate-shaped portion 46 of the sideextension portion 45 face each other in the vehicle upward and downwarddirections as shown in FIG. 6. These mutually facing portions of theplate-shaped portion 46 and the base-end stepped portion 44 can limitupward movement of the frame molding 22 relative to the beltline molding21.

In design, a predetermined gap is secured between the base-end steppedportion 44 and the plate-shaped portion 46 in the vehicle upward anddownward directions as shown in FIG. 6, and this gap makes it possibleto absorb accuracy errors in the vehicle upward and downward directions.In the second alignment portion 50, due to the inclined shapes of theanti-vibration projection 21 k and the design portion 22 d with respectto the vehicle upward and downward directions, the resiliency of theanti-vibration projection 21 k which is resiliently deformed acts on thedesign portion 22 d in not only the vehicle interior side direction asnoted above but also the downward direction. With this downwardcomponent force, the position of the frame molding 22 in the vehicleupward and downward directions is stabilized in the state shown in FIG.6 (in a state where a gap exists between the base-end stepped portion 44and the plate-shaped portion 46). Further, in the case where the framemolding 22 deviates upward from the position thereof shown in FIG. 6,the plate-shaped portion 46 comes into contact with the base-end steppedportion 44 to thereupon be prevented from further deviating upward.

In addition, as described above, the beltline molding 21 has acharacteristic such that a displacement of the beltline molding 21 inthe upward direction is less likely to occur in the non-engaging sectionA due to the engagement between the bent portion 21 i and the attachingportion 14 b of the outer panel 14 in the general cross-sectionalportion shown in FIG. 3. Accordingly, in the first alignment portion 40,the effect of limiting upward movement of the frame molding 22 isenhanced by making the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 havea relationship such that the plate-shaped portion 46 of the framemolding 22 can come into contact with the base-end stepped portion 44 ofthe beltline molding 21 from below (see FIG. 6).

Additionally, in the first alignment portion 40, the front end surface42 a and the rear end surface 42 b of the plate-shaped portion 42 of thedownward projecting portion 41 face the front end surface 47 a and therear end surface 47 b of the insertion hole 47, respectively, as shownin FIG. 7, and the relative movement between the beltline molding 21 andthe frame molding 22 in the vehicle forward and rearward directions islimited by engagement between the front end surface 42 a and the frontend surface 47 a and engagement between the rear end surface 42 b andthe rear end surface 47 b.

For instance, even when the beltline molding 21 and the garnish molding24 are brought into alignment in the vehicle forward and rearwarddirections at the door corner C2, it is possible to bring the beltlinemolding 21 into alignment with the frame molding 22 in the vehicleforward and rearward directions independently via the first alignmentportion 40 at the door corner portion C1, at which the opposite end ofthe beltline molding 21 is positioned, which achieves an excellentalignment accuracy in the vehicle forward and rearward directions.

As shown in FIG. 7, a predetermined clearance is secured between thefront end surface 42 a of the downward projecting portion 41 and thefront end surface 47 a of the insertion hole 47 in the vehicle forwardand rearward directions and between the rear end surface 42 b of thedownward projecting portion 41 and the rear end surface 47 b of theinsertion hole 47 in the vehicle forward and rearward directions. Theseclearances make it possible to absorb accuracy errors between thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 in the vehicle forward andrearward directions. Specifically, when the beltline molding 21 isbrought to be aligned with both the frame molding 22 and the garnishmolding 24 in the vehicle forward and rearward directions at the doorcorner portions C1 and C2, respectively, the accuracy error between thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 at the door corner portionC1 and the accuracy error between the beltline molding 21 and thegarnish molding 24 at the door corner portion C2 can both be absorbed onthe door corner C1 side.

However, to enhance the reliability of the positioning of the beltlinemolding 21 and the frame molding 22 in the vehicle forward and rearwarddirections at the door corner portion C1, it is also possible to form noclearance between the front end surfaces 42 a and 47 a and between therear end surfaces 42 b and 47 b in the vehicle forward and rearwarddirections. In this case, each of the following two embodiments ispossible: an embodiment in which no clearance is provided between thedownward projecting portion 41 and the insertion hole 47 at both thefront side (where the front end surfaces 42 a and 47 a are provided) andthe rear side (where the rear end surfaces 42 b and 47 b are provided)and an embodiment in which no clearance is provided between the downwardprojecting portion 41 and the insertion hole 47 at either one of thefront and rear sides.

In the alignment operation by the first alignment portion 40 and thesecond alignment portion 50 at the door corner C1, the frame molding 22,which includes the non-engaging section B that is greater in length thanthe non-engaging section A, is attached to the upper sash 17 with thebeltline molding 21, which includes the non-engaging section A that issmaller in length than the non-engaging section B, used as a reference.Accordingly, the alignment for the frame molding 22, which is in aneasy-to-move condition relative to the door body, is performed withreference to the beltline molding 21, which is in a hard-to-movecondition relative to the door body. Consequently, high-accuracyalignment can be achieved by effectively utilizing the difference insupport condition between the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding22.

Subsequently, a second embodiment of the exterior structure of thevehicle door according to the present invention will be hereinafterdiscussed with reference to FIGS. 8 through 10. In the second embodimentof the exterior structure of the vehicle door, parts and portionssimilar to those in the first embodiment are designated by the samereference numerals, and the detailed descriptions thereof are omittedherein.

More specifically, the second embodiment of the exterior structure ofthe vehicle door is identical in structure to the first embodiment ofthe exterior structure of the vehicle door except the structure of afirst alignment portion 60 which is provided at the door corner portionC1. In the second embodiment of the exterior structure of the vehicledoor, the first alignment portion 60 is provided on the beltline molding21 side with a downward projecting portion 61 and provided on the framemolding 22 side with a side extension portion 65.

The downward projecting portion 61 is provided as a portion of the endcap 30, which is fitted to the front end of the beltline molding 21. Thedownward projecting portion 61 projects downward from the vehicleinterior side end of an insertion portion 30 d of the end cap 30 whichis inserted into the groove-shaped portion 21 d. The downward projectingportion 61 is provided with a plate-shaped portion 62 and a base-endstepped portion 63 which is positioned on the vehicle external side ofthe plate-shaped portion 62 and smaller in downward projecting amountthan the plate-shaped portion 62. The downward projecting portion 61 isformed to extend in the vehicle forward and rearward directions whilemaintaining the cross sectional shape shown in FIG. 9.

The side extension portion 65 is provided as a portion of the end cap31, which is fitted to the front end (lower end) of the frame molding22. The side extension portion 65 is provided with a plate-shapedportion 66 which is formed to make the lid portion 31 a of the end cap31 extend toward the vehicle exterior side. The side extension portion65 is further provided with a side upright wall 67, a front upright wall68 and a rear upright wall 69 all of which project upward from theplate-shaped portion 66. The plate-shaped portion 66 is substantiallyrectangular in shape as viewed from above, and the long side and theshort side of the plate-shaped portion 66 are oriented to extend alongthe vehicle forward and rearward directions and the vehicle interior andexterior directions, respectively. The side upright wall 67 extends inthe vehicle forward and rearward directions along the vehicle exteriorside edge of the plate portion 66. The front upright wall 68 extends inthe vehicle interior and exterior directions along the front edge of theplate-shaped portion 66. The rear upright wall 69 extends in the vehicleinterior and exterior directions along the rear edge of the plate-shapedportion 66. The front upright wall 68 and the rear upright wall 69 aresubstantially parallel to each other. In addition, the side upright wall67, the front upright wall 68 and the rear upright wall 69 aresubstantially identical in upward projecting amount (height) from theplate-shaped portion 66.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the downward projecting portion 61 and theside extension portion 65 are mated with each other by inserting theplate-shaped portion 62 into a recessed portion which is surrounded bythe side upright wall 67, the front upright wall 68 and the rear uprightwall 69 with the plate-shaped portion 66 serving as the bottom of thisrecessed portion. In this mated state, the plate-shaped portion 62 andthe side upright wall 67, which are provided on the beltline molding 21side and the frame molding 22 side, respectively, are positioned to faceeach other in the vehicle interior and exterior directions. Theengagement of the side upright wall 67 with the plate-shaped portion 62prevents the frame molding 22 from moving toward the vehicle interiorside relative to the beltline molding 21. Accordingly, similar to theabove described first embodiment of the exterior structure of thevehicle door, the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 can bebrought into alignment in the vehicle interior and exterior directionsby the alignment portion that consists of the first alignment portion 60and the second alignment portion 50.

Additionally, in the first alignment portion 60, the lower end surfaceof the plate-shaped portion 62 of the downward projecting portion 61 andthe upper surface of the plate-shaped portion 66 of the side extensionportion 45 face each other in the vehicle upward and downward directionsas shown in FIG. 9. The engagement between these mutually facingsurfaces of the plate-shaped portion 62 and the plate-shaped portion 66prevents the frame molding 22 from moving upward relative to thebeltline molding 21.

The second embodiment of the exterior structure of the vehicle door canbe modified such that a clearance is provided between the plate-shapedportion 62 and the plate-shaped portion 66 in the vehicle upward anddownward directions so that upward movement of the frame molding 22relative to the beltline molding 21 can be limited by engagement betweenmutually facing surfaces of the base-end stepped portion 63 and the sideupright wall 67.

Additionally, in the first alignment portion 60, the front end surface62 a and the rear end surface 62 b of the plate-shaped portion 62 of thedownward projecting portion 61 face the front upright portion 68 and therear upright portion 69, respectively, as shown in FIG. 10, and therelative movement between the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding22 in the vehicle forward and rearward directions is limited byengagement between the front end surface 62 a and the front upright wall68 and engagement between the rear end surface 62 b and the rear uprightwall 69.

Similar to the first embodiment, it is possible to align the beltlinemolding 21 and the frame molding 22 with each other in the vehicleforward and rearward directions via the first alignment portion 60 atthe door corner portion C1 while aligning the beltline molding 21 andthe garnish molding 24 with each other in the vehicle forward andrearward directions at the door corner C2, which achieves an excellentalignment accuracy in the vehicle forward and rearward directions.

As shown in FIG. 10, a predetermined clearance is secured between thefront end surface 62 a of the downward projecting portion 61 and thefront upright wall 68 in the vehicle forward and rearward directions andbetween the rear end surface 62 b of the downward projecting portion 61and the rear upright wall 69 in the vehicle forward and rearwarddirections. With these clearances, when, e.g., the beltline molding 21is brought into alignment with both the frame molding 22 and the garnishmolding 24 at the door corner portions C1 and C2, respectively, theaccuracy error between the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22at the door corner portion C1 and the accuracy error between thebeltline molding 21 and the garnish molding 24 at the door cornerportion C2 can both be absorbed on the door corner C1 side.

However, to enhance the reliability of the positioning of the beltlinemolding 21 and the frame molding 22 in the vehicle forward and rearwarddirections at the door corner portion C1, it is also possible to form noclearance between the downward projecting portion 61 and the sideextension portion 45 in the vehicle forward and rearward directions atboth or either of the front side (where the front end surface 62 a andthe front upright wall 68 are provided) and the rear side (where therear end surfaces 62 b and the rear upright wall 69 are provided).

As with each embodiment described above, the first exterior member,which is composed of a combination of the frame molding 22 and the endcap 31, and the second exterior member, which is composed of acombination of the beltline molding 21 and the end cap 30, are providedwith an alignment portion (the first alignment portion 40 or 60 and thesecond alignment portion 50) for mutual alignment at the door corner C1.Because the first exterior member and the second exterior member arebrought into alignment with each other by themselves, variations in therelative positions between the first exterior member and the secondexterior member can be reduced to achieve satisfactory appearance alsoat the door corner portion C1, where the mounting of each exteriormember to the door body (the door panel 11 and the door frame 12) isrestricted. In addition, aligning the first exterior member and thesecond exterior member with each other makes it possible to prevent thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 from fluttering and causingnoise at the door corner portion C2.

For instance, in the case where the first alignment portion 40 or 60 isnot provided, there is a possibility of that misalignment between thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 in the vehicle interior andexterior directions which may cause the design portion 22 d of the framemolding 22 to be disengaged from the anti-vibration projection 21 k ofthe beltline molding 21 occurring. If the anti-vibration projection 21 kand the design portion 22 d are disengaged from each other to therebycreate a gap therebetween, there is a possibility of air turbulenceoccurring between the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 andthereupon noise occurring at the time of traveling; further, there is apossibility of portions of the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding22 in the vicinity of the front ends thereof vibrating and fluttering inthe vehicle interior and exterior directions by wind pressure at thetime of traveling. Additionally, there is also a possibility of adifferent in level of each of the vehicle interior side portion 21 b andthe upper-end connecting portion 21 c relative to the design portion 22d in the vehicle interior and exterior directions increasing to therebydeteriorate the appearance of the overlapping portions of the beltlinemolding 21 and the frame molding 22. The problems as described above canbe prevented by stabilizing the positional relationship between thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 in the vehicle interior andexterior directions by providing the first alignment portion 40 or 60.

Additionally, in the case where the first alignment portion 40 or 60 isnot provided, there is also a possibility of misalignment between thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 in the vehicle forward andrearward directions occurring. As shown in FIG. 2, the front end of thebeltline molding 21 (the lid portion 30 a of the end cap 30) and theupper edge of the design portion 22 d of the frame molding 22 areconfigured to be continuous and flush with each other as the door cornerportion C1 is viewed from the vehicle exterior side. Assuming that thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 are misaligned in thevehicle forward and rearward directions, there is a possibility of theappearance of the overlapping portions of the exterior membersdeteriorating by, e.g., the front end of the beltline molding 21 (thelid portion 30 a of the end cap 30) jutting forward from the designportion 22 d of the frame molding 22. Additionally, at the time oftraveling, there is a possibility of outside air entering the inside ofthe beltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 through the gap in thevehicle forward and rearward directions, which may become a cause ofnoise, vibrations, etc. The problems as described above can be preventedby stabilizing the positional relationship between the beltline molding21 and the frame molding 22 in the vehicle forward and rearwarddirections by providing the first alignment portion 40 or 60.

Further, in the first alignment portion 40 or 60 in each of the abovedescribed first and second embodiments, alignment in the vehicle upwardand downward directions is also performed to stabilize the positionalrelationship between the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 inthe vehicle upward and downward directions. Specifically, upwardmovement of the frame molding 22 in the upward direction with respect tothe beltline molding 21 is restricted.

The first alignment portion 40 or 60 in each of the above describedfirst and second embodiments is provided on the end cap 30 and the endcap 31, which are fitted to ends of the beltline molding 21 and theframe molding 22, respectively. Accordingly, each first alignmentportion 40 and 60 can be obtained with no modifications made to thebeltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22, each of which is a longmember. The downward projecting portion 41 and the side extensionportion 45 each have a shape that can be easily molded in themanufacturing process of the end caps 30 and 31, respectively; likewise,the downward projecting portion 61 and the side extension portion 65each have a shape that can be easily molded in the manufacturing processof the end caps 30 and 31, respectively, which makes it possible toobtain the above described effects with a configuration superior inproductivity and production cost. The end caps 30 and 31 can each beformed of an arbitrary material; as an example, the joint strength ineach first alignment portion 40 and 60 can be ensured by forming eachend cap 30 and 31 of a hard synthetic resin.

Although the present invention has been described based on the aboveillustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited solely tothese particular embodiments; various modifications to the aboveillustrated embodiment of the seat reclining apparatus are possiblewithout departing from the gist of the present invention. For instance,although each of the above illustrated embodiments has been configuredfor alignment of the beltline molding 21 and the frame molding 22 at thedoor corner C1, the present invention can also be applied to the doorcorner portion C2 for alignment of the beltline molding 21 and thegarnish molding 24 at the door corner portion C2 and also to the doorcorner portion C3 for alignment for the frame molding 22 and the garnishmolding 24 at the door corner portion C3.

The present invention is applicable also to the case where two exteriormembers overlap each other or are coupled to each other at a positionother than any door corner portion.

In each of the above described first and second embodiments, alignmentis performed in the vehicle interior and exterior directions, thevehicle upward and downward directions and the vehicle forward andrearward directions in the first alignment portion 40 or 60;accordingly, reliable alignment has been achieved with a space-savingconfiguration. However, unlike the above illustrated embodiments,portions for alignment in different directions can be provided (asdifferent portions) independently of one another.

There are the advantages described above in providing the end caps withan alignment portion; however, an alignment portion can also be providedon the body portions of moldings such as the beltline molding 21 and theframe molding 22. As an example, in each cross section shown in FIGS. 6and 9, by modifying the shape of the frame molding 22 in such a manneras to make the lower end of the design portion 22 d of the frame molding22 inserted into the groove-shaped portion 21 d of the beltline molding21 by folding the lower end of the design portion 22 d of the framemolding 22 toward the vehicle exterior side, the beltline molding 21 andthe frame molding 22 can be brought into alignment in the vehicleinterior and exterior directions via the folded end of the designportion 22 d and the vehicle interior side portion 21 b, which areprovided on the frame molding 22 side and the beltline molding 21 side,respectively.

Although alignment in the vehicle interior and exterior directions isperformed using both the first alignment portion 40 or 60 and the secondalignment portion 50 in each of the above described first and secondembodiments, alignment in the vehicle interior and exterior directionscan also be performed with a single integrated alignment portion. Forinstance, if the downward projecting portion 61 is further provided, ata position on the vehicle exterior side of the side upright wall 67,with a second plate-shaped portion by modifying the cross sectionalshape of the downward projecting portion 61 shown in FIG. 9, it ispossible to limit the relative movement between the beltline molding 21and the frame molding 22 in both the vehicle interior side direction andthe vehicle exterior side direction by positioning the side upright wall67 between the plate-shaped portion 62 and the second plate-shapedportion.

Obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiments of the presentinvention described herein, such modifications being within the spiritand scope of the invention claimed. It is indicated that all mattercontained herein is illustrative and does not limit the scope of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An exterior structure of a vehicle door,comprising: a first exterior member which is attached to said vehicledoor; and a second exterior member which is attached to said vehicledoor, wherein said first exterior member and said second exterior membercomprise an alignment portion which determines a position of said firstexterior member in vehicle forward and rearward directions via saidsecond exterior member, wherein a predetermined section of said firstexterior member which ranges from an end thereof in an elongateddirection of said first exterior member is formed as a non-engagingsection which is disengaged from a body of said vehicle door, wherein apredetermined section of said second exterior member which ranges froman end thereof in an elongated direction of said second exterior memberis formed as a non-engaging section which is disengaged from said bodyof said vehicle door, wherein said non-engaging sections of said firstexterior member and said second exterior member comprise said alignmentportion, and wherein said non-engaging section of said first exteriormember is greater in length than said non-engaging section of saidsecond exterior member.
 2. The exterior structure of the vehicle dooraccording to claim 1, wherein said first exterior member creates aclearance in vehicle interior and exterior directions between saidvehicle door and a portion of said first exterior member that includessaid alignment portion.
 3. The exterior structure of the vehicle dooraccording to claim 1, wherein said alignment portion further determinesa position of said first exterior member relative to said secondexterior member in vehicle upward and downward directions.
 4. Theexterior structure of the vehicle door according to claim 1, whereinsaid first exterior member comprises a frame molding which is attachedto a door frame of said vehicle door, and wherein said second exteriormember comprises a beltline molding which is attached to an upper edgeof a door panel of said vehicle door.
 5. An exterior structure of avehicle door, comprising: a first exterior member which is attached tosaid vehicle door; and a second exterior member which is attached tosaid vehicle door, wherein said first exterior member and said secondexterior member comprise an alignment portion which determines aposition of said first exterior member in vehicle forward and rearwarddirections via said second exterior member, wherein said first exteriormember comprises a first body portion and a first end cap which coversan end surface of said first body portion, wherein said second exteriormember comprises a second body portion and a second end cap which coversan end surface of said second body portion, and wherein said first endcap and said second end cap comprise said alignment portion.
 6. Theexterior structure of the vehicle door according to claim 5, whereinsaid first end cap comprises: a lid portion which comes in contact withsaid end surface of said first body portion; and an insertion portionwhich projects from said lid portion and is inserted into said firstbody portion, wherein said alignment portion comprises: an extensionportion which extends from said lid portion in said vehicle externalside direction, wherein said extension portion is provided with aninsertion hole which extends through said extension portion in vehicleupward and downward directions; and a downward projecting portion whichis provided on said second end cap to project downward, wherein saiddownward projecting portion is inserted in said insertion hole.
 7. Theexterior structure of the vehicle door according to claim 5, whereinsaid first end cap comprises: a lid portion which comes in contact withsaid end surface of said first body portion; and an insertion portionwhich projects from said lid portion and is inserted into said firstbody portion, wherein said alignment portion comprises: an extensionportion which extends from said lid portion in said vehicle externalside direction, wherein said extension portion is provided with anupright wall which projects upward; and a downward projecting portionwhich is provided on said second end cap to project downward, whereinsaid downward projecting portion is positioned to face said upright wallin said forward and rearward directions.
 8. An exterior structure of avehicle door comprising a door panel, a door frame, and a window openingdefined by an upper edge of said door panel and an inner edge of saiddoor frame, said exterior structure comprising: a first exterior memberattached to at least one of said door panel and said door frame along aperiphery of said window opening; and a second exterior member attachedto at least one of said door panel and said door frame along a peripheryof said window opening, wherein said first exterior member and saidsecond exterior member comprise an alignment portion which determines aposition of said first exterior member with respect to said secondexterior member, wherein said first exterior member comprises a firstbody portion and a first end cap which covers an end surface of saidfirst body portion, wherein said second exterior member comprises asecond body portion and a second end cap which covers an end surface ofsaid second body portion, wherein said first end cap comprises a firstlid portion which comes in contact with said end surface of said firstbody portion, and a first insertion portion which projects from saidfirst lid portion and is inserted into said first body portion, whereinsaid second end cap, which is provided as a discrete member from saidfirst end cap, comprises a second lid portion which comes in contactwith said end surface of said second body portion, and a secondinsertion portion which projects from said second lid portion and isinserted into said second body portion, and wherein said first end capand said second end cap comprise said alignment portion.
 9. The exteriorstructure of the vehicle door according to claim 8, wherein saidalignment portion determines a position of said first exterior memberrelative to said second exterior member in vehicle upward and downwarddirections.
 10. The exterior structure of the vehicle door according toclaim 8, wherein said first exterior member and said second exteriormember are overlapped with each other.